winterization Steps for Perkins 4-108

[jpendoley]

Hello all,
I'm putting away my 365 and had a question about putting away the Perkins. Last year I just sucked polypropylene glycol (ppg) (-50 degree) thru the  seawater intake manifold.  I've since worried that -50 degree might get diluted in the heat exchangers and thought I should run a couple of gallons of -100 ppg through.  Is that necessary? Boats hauled in northern Mass. -gets to -10 on occassion.

Should I drain the RV10 and the heat exchanger after flushing with PPG and the oil cooler or is simply running the antifreeze through the system sufficient?





I appreciate your feedback.
Jim

[SVJourney]

Draining is always best, IMHO.    If I was in your climes, I would install cocks everywhere I could to drain what I could.  LOL, that said, we're never IN those kinda climes anymore!  It's just now summer here in OZ.

[S/V Deo Volente]

Draining is always best, IMHO.    If I was in your climes, I would install cocks everywhere I could to drain what I could.  LOL, that said, we're never IN those kinda climes anymore!  It's just now summer here in OZ.

Draining is great IF you get all the water out. I know a couple of boats that cracked heat exchangers when water pockets didn't empty after draining. I drain, then run a -50 mix in, using a bucket under the exhaust to catch it. When the discharge tests at least -30 I stop. I save the discharge for mixing again. I catch it again in the spring and recycle it from year to year. Don't forget to winterize the head.

[Della and Dave]

What we have been doing is running -100 through by pouring in into  the sea strainer through a hose that fits tightly into  the place where the strainer basket goes. We run it until it is clearly pink, then at least another 10-15 seconds. We go through about three gallons to make sure it is concentrated enough to protect it.  Two person job. 

I would love to find a better solution for the water tanks.  The pink stuff in the tanks seems to promote stuff growing.   We drain the water heater before refilling with the pink stuff.  We also use it in the head, after a pump out so we aren't diluting it too much.  That is part of the reason to use -100, it can stand some dilution and still protect to -50.  . 

The shower sump is another spot not to forget.  We run the shower until a water bottle collecting it is good and pink, then wipe down the shower to prevent mold.  A bit of concentrated pink stuff goes straight into the shower drain and us pumped out. 

Never had any freezing problems, and it does get cold here. 

[jpendoley]

Thank you everyone-off to buy -100 on my lunch break! 

[S/V Deo Volente]

I never put anti-freeze in the water tanks. I pull the hoses and drain the tanks, then I put the anti-freeze in a bucket and pump it through the water system. The sump gets it's share from the head sink and shower drains. I can bypass the water heater so that just gets drained. I like to put a little anti-freeze in the bilge so the pump doesn't get a hard freeze. Minnesota gets chilly too.
Bob

[Della and Dave]

How do you go about draining the tank?  Our outlet is about an inch above the bottom.  I usually set the pump going, then hang out on the stern for a bit to tip the boat stern down, but I still end up with quite a bit of water in the bottom of the tank.  I have used clean rags to just soak it up and dump it, but that is a pain.   

Re-plumbing so I can bypass the water heater seems like a great way to handle that problem and just draining it.   Do you think it is safe to just drain it though?  I worry that there is still going to be a couple of inches in the bottom ant that will freeze and cause problems.   Right now we are just  using a lot of the pink stuff and leaving it full.   

[S/V Deo Volente]

How do you go about draining the tank? 

I just pull the hoses off, I don't worry about the little water left in there, it has plenty of room to expand. The same with the water heater, but I think that drains completely. I do leave the valve open, just like seacocks, assuming the boat is out of the water. It's what I've been doing for 20 + years 
Bob